Found this randomly on my Dad's bookshelf, and cannot believe I have never heard of it. Most science fiction has a tendency to project contemporary soFound this randomly on my Dad's bookshelf, and cannot believe I have never heard of it. Most science fiction has a tendency to project contemporary social mores (at best) onto technologically advanced scenarios, yielding the kind of silly plots we watched in the original Star Trek, in which a macho jerk shoots his way out of encounters with the other. Zebrowski is a wonderfully refreshing antidote to that, positing societal changes that would come about as a result of, or at least be concomitant to, the tech advances that come over time. He also explores how colonies relate to "home" when as a colony, they are so remote that they must fend for themselves. The sweep and scope of this book are stunning. The writing is occasionally pedantic and awkward, but it is well worth pushing through to engage the ideas he is exploring....more

A few interesting ideas, and a decent beach read, but the author trips over realities AI on a regular basis, and his editor did him no favors by leaviA few interesting ideas, and a decent beach read, but the author trips over realities AI on a regular basis, and his editor did him no favors by leaving in so many tech terms that are tied to a brief period of tech, and have rapidly become obscure and non-evocative. ...more

Thoroughly enjoyable, and true science fiction (not fantasy). It might need a new genre for engineering fiction, as so much of it is really a cross beThoroughly enjoyable, and true science fiction (not fantasy). It might need a new genre for engineering fiction, as so much of it is really a cross between Ray Bradbury and MacGyver. The hero also as a great sense of humor, and the writing is remarkably deft for a first novel. ...more

I don't read much sci-fi any more, but figured I would enjoy a quick escape read in this. However, if it had not been so short, I would not even haveI don't read much sci-fi any more, but figured I would enjoy a quick escape read in this. However, if it had not been so short, I would not even have finished it. Wretched writing, silly, dated characters, shallow premise, and nothing thought-provoking....more

Within the genre of speculative fiction (or sci-fi), this rises up because of the quality of the writing. There are some interesting ideas about the nWithin the genre of speculative fiction (or sci-fi), this rises up because of the quality of the writing. There are some interesting ideas about the nature of language and cognition, but the exploration of them is ultimately unsatisfying. The book ends up seeming over-long for the depth it achieves.

I teetered between 2 and 3 stars, but I realized my disappointment was not so much with this book itself, but rather that it did not live up to the much higher standard of The City & The City. Worth reading, but by no means his best work (as at least one review suggested)....more

Reread this after so many years, and Bradbury really stands up to the test of time. Some aspects, like his expectations of space travel by this pointReread this after so many years, and Bradbury really stands up to the test of time. Some aspects, like his expectations of space travel by this point in time seem naive now, but his stuff is not about science the way hard scifi is. His fiction is better classed as speculative fiction, because it is more about people and ideas than science. Need to reread more of his stuff to remember which I liked best, but this was well worth passing on to a new generation....more

Am rereading these after 30+ years. The first still has the compelling ideas of psychohistory, although less developed than I had remembered, or wouldAm rereading these after 30+ years. The first still has the compelling ideas of psychohistory, although less developed than I had remembered, or would have liked. To Azimov's credit, the character of the Mule was still vivid enough in my memory that the second book lost most of its tension.

What I had forgotten was just how virulently misogynist and patriarchal these books are - it is kind of embarrassing given that he came of age when women had been working in factories, serving in war, and holding families together on their own. Their depiction as silly, vain, and useless seems adolescent at best. I remembered Robert A. Heinlein being a militaristic jerk, but had a more romantic image of Azimov. Re-reading this series has altered that view. E.g., in Azimov's future, society has somehow become race-less (if not all-white), nicely matching the purely decorative role for women.

Having recently re-read City, and considering that a young Azimov should have read Vannevar Bush, it is also embarrassing how quaint is his depiction of a galactic future where messages are still passed on paper, all history is on microfilm and in physical libraries, etc. That everyone smokes all the time is just silly. Asimov says he read Clifford D. Simak, and yet somehow completely missed his remarkable prescience in areas of technology, communications, media, social evolution, etc.

To call this a trilogy is disingenuous - it would have been only a moderately long novel as one, and each part would be completely unsatisfying on its own.

All in all, disappointing as a re-read (I changed from 5 stars in my memory to just 3 now). There are still some great ideas in here, but maybe you just have to be very young, and enthralled with space to overlook the faults....more